EGL – Enabling Good Lives

Wendy Richards from Volunteering New Plymouth

Graham Ault, Volunteering New Plymouth’s volunteer show interviewer & I had the privilege of having David Prentice and Craig Nielsen as guests on our Radio show Volly Voices with Access Radio Taranaki 104.4FM which is aired on Sundays at 2pm.

Have you heard of Enabling Good Lives Taranaki?
What are they about and What do they do you ask??

Enabling Good Lives Taranaki has been set up to empower people with a disability by making it easier for them and their families to create good lives for themselves.
It all started:
In 2008 New Zealand endorsed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and there was a review into how things were going in New Zealand. The convention indicated what things should be like and the review made it clear that change was needed. Many disabled people, families and allies realised that the most important thing was for disabled people and families to have more control in their lives and supports as well as the ability to lead change.

How did EGL evolve?
The EGL approach came from the community. Between 2008 and 2013 hundreds of disabled people and their families contributed to the development of the EGL approach directly and indirectly (through networks). There were many ways disabled people and families built the EGL approach.
Between 2009 and 2012 there was a group of community organisations governed and staffed by disabled people and/or families that worked with the Minister for Disability Issues. They were connected with many hundreds of disabled people and families and spent lots of time explaining how new approaches could work.
In 2011 the Minister for Disability Issues invited a group of leaders in the disability sector to develop a “clean sheet” approach to positive change. This group of disabled people families and allies wrote the first Enabling Good Lives report (EGL).

Investing in disabled people and their families is key to EGL. This means resources go to networks and organisations led by disabled people and families so that they can build knowledge, skills and connections.
The EGL approach requires that changes are made to communities, government systems and service provision. These changes need to be built on the EGL vision and principles. The aim of these changes is to build person directed supports, accessible communities and a society that values the contribution of disabled people.

This is done locally by the Core Group Coordinator working with the disabled person and family / whanau to ensure that they know and understand how they can choose and control the supports and activities in their own lives. This is to ensure that the disabled person has a say in acknowledging what a good life means to them and what and how this can positively impact their quality of life.
For each person this will look very different depending on their abilities and the support needed.

Where can you learn more? If you are keen to learn more about Enabling Good Lives Taranaki , listen to Access Radio on Sunday March 30th at 2pm. This show is also available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Podcast on the Monday after the show has aired - to find this go the either Access Radio Taranaki website and these recordings can be found under Community or to Volunteering New Plymouth website and look under Volunteers and Volly Calls.

Who can you contact?
If this sounds interesting to you then contact us at Volunteering New Plymouth or check Enabling Good Lives out on Facebook - EGLTaranaki or email admin@egltaranaki.org.nz
If you do not have access to the internet, then contact Wendy by phoning 06 758 8986; Ph/Text 022 571 4228 or Email admin@vnp.nz for more information.